背景：「小班教學」已於2009年9月開始分階段實施。 有教育同工反對這項改革，認為「小班教學」只會製造一種假像。亦有社會人士期望老師可以有多些時間，照顧學生的個別差異和成長；而學生家長也會期望老師可以有多些時間照顧學生的需要。學生、家長及其他社會人士對老師的期望提高了。但老師是否真的可以有多些時間去照顧學生的需要和成長呢？本文作者嘗試跟進教育同工們的關注，提出有關教育目的及關顧「心靈教育」的討論，特別是近年大陸學者所關注的「生命化教育」、「回歸生命教育」等，盼望能拋磚引玉，擦出進深探究教育使命的火花來。
討論焦點：本文嘗試從教育理念入手，闡釋小班教學計劃推行的主要精神應是在於「教學以學生為本，照顧個別學生的需要」。作者跟著提出兩個重要的課題去思考，即是：(一) 心靈教育是甚麼？ 及 (二) 如何推行心靈教育？。在跟進的討論中，作者進一步闡釋三個基本的問題，分別是：(一) 心靈是甚麼？；(二) 心靈成長需要怎樣的空間？；(三) 心靈成長需要甚麼元素？。
建議： 盼望教育當局在推行小班教學的同時能加強關注及投放更多資源去推動關顧學生心靈的教育；從事教育工作者今後亦應更多地關注學生的心靈、並能更有效地推動關顧學生心靈的教育。
總結：教育工作者的重要任務之一是要關注學生心靈的成長，小班教學的推行正是一個大好機會提醒前線教育工作者照顧個別學生的需要、包括幫助他們心靈的成長。心靈教育也就是生命化教育，須幫助學生認識自己、肯定生命的價值、發揮自我的潛能，建立更正面、更積極的人生觀。
Background: Hong Kong Education Bureau has been promoting small-class teaching in primary schools, reducing the number of pupils per class from 30 to 25. However, education frontiers were complaining that it would only create a mirage. While the society and the parents are expecting teachers to have more time and space to care for the students' individual needs in small class, the teachers in fact do not have much time for their students. It is indeed the proper time for us to re-think our educational mission underlying the small class provision and the present paper is doing precisely this fine job. Hence, it is proposed that alongside with the implementation of small class policy, more effort should be made for the concern of spirituality education in schools of Hong Kong today.
Aims or focus of discussion: It is made clear that the educational mission of small class teaching would be aimed at the caring for the students' individual needs and spiritual growth. Two issues will be raised and discussed in this paper, namely: (a) what is spirituality education?; and (b) how to promote spirituality education in schools today? The author moves on to elaborate three basic concerns for the promotion of spirituality education in schools, namely: (a) what is meant by 'spirituality'? ; (b) the kind of space needed

為了提高本地的教育質素，小班教學經已在二零零四年九月在37 間小學的一年級試行，並逐年推廣至小二。小班教學耗資不少教學經費，當局計劃對這試驗計劃先作評估，然後才考慮是否值得正式推行。不過，這計劃的目的現時還未清晰，評估指標亦欠具體，這些都會對教師要採用哪些教學策略有關鍵性的影響。本文就美國威斯康辛的「學生教育成就保證」計劃的結果進行討論，期望為教師及制訂政策者帶來一點啟示。
Small class teaching is currently tried out in 37 primary schools in Hong Kong, with a view to enhancing the quality of education. Commencing from September 2004, the Project targets at the primary one and then proceeds to the primary two for two consecutive cohorts. The costly project will be assessed before it might be considered for implementation. However, as the Project is in lack of clarity in terms of its objectives, teachers can be clouded by its evaluation criteria and hence will be hesitant to the appropriate teaching strategies to employ. This paper aims to draw the attention of the local teachers and policy makers to the experience of implementing small class teaching in the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education Project in Wisconsin, and its implications on small class teaching in Hong Kong.
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education, Hong Kong Teachers' Associationl is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Association at http://www.hkta1934.org.hk/]

本文闡釋了利用「通達學習」教授數學，照顧個別差異和提升學習動機的行動研究。研究者發現「通達學習」有效照顧班中尖子和能力稍遜學生的學習，使學生差異度收窄，增強了學習的興趣。研究亦顯示，通過有計劃的安排，制定明晰的教學目標與課業，以輔導和增潤課程設計，有效地改變了教學的效能和學習的程式。「通達學習」是值得推廣的，只是教師需要更多教學時間和支援。
The paper reports an action research on the use of Mastery Learning in the teaching of primary six Mathematics. It is reported that Mastery Learning is able to cater for the needs of a wide range of individual ability in the class. The pupils' motivation is enhanced. With good preparation and clearly defined objectives and learning activities, the effectiveness of teaching and learning is enhanced. However, teachers need more support and resources in order to prepare and conduct lessons for Mastery Learning.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]